EUSTIS — A local woman is accused of pointing a high-powered air rifle at a man walking his dog on Ken’s Way next to her property, Franklin County Sheriff Scott Nichols Sr. said Wednesday.
Deputy Brad Scovil responded at 9:12 a.m. Tuesday to a report of a woman threatening the caller with a rifle.
The victim had no idea what type of weapon was being pointed at him at the time, all he saw was a black rifle, Nichols said.
Scovil investigated and arrested Marcia Higgins, 65, of Eustis on a felony charge of criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, Nichols said.
A conviction on the Class C charge is punishable by a maximum five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
According to Scovil’s report, Higgins came out on her porch and pointed the air rifle at the man and accused him of allowing his dog to get into her bird food with the implied threat of shooting him if they did not move away – she had thrown food items on the ground to feed some crows — Nichols said.
The air rifle can be loaded with either pellets or BBs. This one was loaded with BBs, which would be shot at a lower velocity; however, she was still able to kill squirrels with it, he said.
Scovil confiscated the rifle.
Higgins was taken to the Franklin County Detention Center in Farmington and released on $300 cash bail on Wednesday.
She is scheduled to appear in a Farmington court on Jan. 23, according to the arrest log.
Marcia Higgins (Franklin County Detention Center)
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